


The Hidden Monster

by HarlowH



Category: Original Work
Genre: Character Death, Mystery, Sign Language, bad childhood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2020-12-09 15:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20997074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarlowH/pseuds/HarlowH
Summary: There is always evil where there is good you just need to find it.





	1. Dang I almost died... Maybe next time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm done dying, it hurts to much

Then he struck. I roared in pain, anger, and fear for my only friend. His poisonous fangs sank deeper and deeper into my calf. Blood soaked my jeans, steaming from the poison. I felt my life force begin to ebb as blood oozed out of me. No I thought. Althea. I surged onto my feet, grabbed my sword, and brought it down upon my old friend, Sean, in his snake form. I turned towards Althea. I fell on my knees, cradling her head in my lap. I didn't cry, though. I covered that anger and fear in our greatest memories, focusing on her in times when we were happy and not poisoned. I managed to heal us both. And then pass out, but that was afterwards.  
My eyes opened and revealed a warm, sunny meadow of wildflowers. Hey buddy, Althea signed, how you doing?  
Eh, I signed, down in the cave was better. Your face was more hidden.  
Ha ha, she replied, that laugh was sarcastic, BTW, in case you didn't know. I raised my eyebrow conspiratorially, and she laughed. That warm smile I thought I'd never see again could've healed me in itself. It made me happy, too, and that laugh must've sounded like… well, something good, I wouldn't know. She started to say something, then remembered and signed, you're cute when you smile.  
What's sign language again? I thought. My soul flopped on its bed with some Ben and Jerry's, realizing its job was done. My brain took over and made me sign something, anything. According to Althea I signed, you need patience, go sit down. I seriously hope she's wrong. Or joking.  
What? She signed  
Uuugdusssssmmmf I signed. I'm a doofus.  
You're a doofus, she told me.  
On that we agree. She laughed again and leaned over to kiss me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any suggestions


	2. 'Special kids'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it happened

I know that this started on what seems like the middle of a story. Let me catch you up. I met Althea in third grade. We were both special… in more ways than one. I can heal just about anything with a thought, but I’m deaf. It's not so bad, especially when you have a younger brother that you don't have to listen to. Althea can understand literally anything, including guys. That's how she knew sign language really well. Also how she knew that I thought she was the greatest thing or human ever. So not exactly great for me. The other way that she’s special is that she has 30/20 eyesight. Literally better than perfect. She can see in ultraviolet when she tries. Or X-ray. Also not great for me. She can see my heart pounding, my pores trying to make me sweat more, even though they can’t, my arms twitching so bad that anyone could see it. So that's nice.

Anyway, we figured out that we were born within the same second, a second that comets rained from the sky, making it appear as though the Big Dipper was dripping fiery liquid. We were in the same hospital, across the hall from each other. Rooms 217 and 218. We still don't know if there's someone else like us out there, other than Sean. Maybe. Who knows what we'll find out? You see we aren't exactly mutants or enhanced beings, but we're one of a kind.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need feedback


	3. Sean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My good friend Sean

Sean could shapeshift. That's why he was a snake in chapter one. When I met him, he was an elk. One that just so happened to see me break and heal over half of my ribs. Normally, he gives himself a golden tan, dazzling teeth, eyes that constantly shift colors, and charcoal gray hair. You may be confused about why a teenager would want gray hair, but it was basically black. I sort of hated him at first. I mean, why wouldn't Althea prefer him? Sean looked like the kid who would skip school, and not care about his education or future at all. Like a cool guy that somehow every girl likes. Despite his horrific past, he’s always been an attractive little- sorry, I got off track. He always had a hard life, and me hating him (at first, mind you) didn’t make it easier.

Of course, people change. They grow and they wilt. He was no exception. We grew to be close friends and he was always a great guy. I guess I was just jealous. Probably a little overprotective, too. Of course he was great, his past made him know to fit in whatever mold people around him created. To summarize, Sean was hot and I was jealous. His life was crap and so was I. Let’s move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What you think!?


	4. Many things happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it all started

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plz I love reviews

I was born in a small place called Bigriver, Oregon. I lived at the same house my entire childhood, until now. I would invite you to visit, but, as I don't live there anymore, I don't think that I have the right. Althea lived pretty close, actually. Pretty cool, right? Only a mile or so apart.  
Anyway, in third grade she threw a rotten egg at me during lunch. I had thick, green-yellow, very unappetizing smelling yoke running down my face. Yay. Oh yeah, she also decided to dump Vienna sausages on my head, just to add insult to injury. Of course, this was because when she asked how she looked, I told her that she looked okay, instead of better than Aphrodite herself. If you had seen her in third grade, you wouldn’t have been so polite.  
***  
Five years later, we were walking through the forest behind my house. Careful, I signed.  
I’m good, Althea replied as she ran across the log. The one that stretches 40 feet above a two inch deep creek filled with river rocks. The one that is slippery and covered in moss. Therefore, naturally, she didn't slip in the slightest amount.  
Woah, I signed.  
You in awe of my skills?, she asked.  
No, weirdo. I mean wow, look at that elk.  
Woah is correct. Look at that silky fur. She signed.  
Look at my silky fur, I replied, gesturing to my long (ish), black hair. Then the elk charged. It's horns glowed silver in the light of golden hour. I was so small that they didn't even hit me. The elk’s head, however, did. I flew across the clearing-okayay, about ten feet- and my back cracked against a tree. I could hardly breathe. Focus, I thought, you are not a kindergartener, you are in eighth grade, however small you may be. How bad is it? I signed to Althea. That simple act sent alarm bells ringing through my body. I winced.  
Well, how bad is over half of your ribs broken and one piercing your flesh? She replied a little sardonically.  
I closed my eyes. She didn't seem scared that I had died, though. I mean, she could see my heart beating. I healed myself. Every muscle in my body tightened. I gasped in what I hoped was a loud, dramatic fashion. A boy my age crouched next to Althea. His eyes flashed an alarmed red, then filled with hundreds of colors. Woah, I thought. Althea didn't even give him a second glance.  
Are you okay? She asked.  
Yeah. Yeah. I answered. It made me happy how little she cared about Mr. Perfect, how she only seemed to see me.  
Dang, that's too bad, she said. I smiled and she laughed in relief.  
The boy said something. By reading his lips I guessed that he’d said, “I’m shawl.” I looked at Althea for translation.  
Sean, she indicated. I nodded and stood up. I was super sore, but I hid it, trying to seem tough. They followed my example and we walked to the creek.  
Althea, you translate, I said.  
Ok.  
I turned to Sean. You're like us.  
Althea reported this to him and he nodded.  
Were you born on December 18th, 2004 at 11:11 pm?  
Althea said something to him. He replied, and Althea told me, He's not sure about the time- since why would anyone know that- but 12 18, 04 is correct. I nodded to show that I understood.  
Meeting adjourned, I told Althea. I wasn't sure how to sign adjourned, so I had to spell it out. It was more of, Meeting A-D-J-O-U-R-N-E-D. I always hated that part of being deaf.


	5. Five hours later...

Mom, this is Sean, I signed to my mother. She swept her wavy, brown hair over her shoulder and beamed at him. My mom’s the greatest. She said something to him, paused as he replied, nodded, and they shook hands. She was nice enough to not mention his tattered clothing. I think. He stepped into the bathroom.  
Shower, Althea explained. I nodded. That made sense. Seemed kinda weird, though. Althea, my mother, and I went to the kitchen. There were chips and salsa on the counter, so we sat down and had a conversation about our new friend the shapeshifter.  
I wonder if he can become inanimate objects, I signed.  
Doubt it, Althea replied, how would he turn back?  
She makes a fair point, my mom agreed.  
Dang it, mom, I gestured in fake anger. Althea stuck her tongue out at me.  
I turned to Mom, I could see she was trying to smother her laughter.  
Thanks for the support, Mom, I added sarcastically. She tried to hide her laughter by eating a chip with salsa, but last second, she burst out laughing. She dropped the chip right into the bowl of salsa.  
Thanks a lot, Mom, now I lost my appetite. Right as I had told her that, Sean came out of the bathroom.  
“So what'd I miss?,” asked Sean, smiling, though I interpreted it as, “So where's my kiss?”  
I'm sorry, what'd you say? I gestured, very confused.  
He asked what he missed, Althea told me, why, what did you think he said?  
Oh, nothing.  
Mom’s face hardened like rock. “Alright,” she said, signing as well, for my sake. “So Sean was born on December 18, 2004, too?”  
“Yeah,” Sean replied, “so they have powers, too?”  
“Yes,” Althea whispered, “We do.” She always went all somber like that when we talked about our powers. I frowned, searching her face for a sign of why they made her sad.


	6. I killed my father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I should have done something!" Althea wailed, clenching the sheets between her fists.

I'm Althea Hillard. I'm currently seven years old. There's something wrong with my father. I think he's dying. There's a weird shadow festering through his body. He's been coughing a lot, and his eyes are bloodshot. They’re all red and puffy. I think I saw him cough up some blood yesterday. Every time he sees me, he gets angry. He wasn’t like that before. I'm trying to figure out what's happening, but even I, with my supernatural intellect that Dad used to cherish, cannot. I step quietly into the kitchen. I make myself a roast and enjoy it in my room. I finish it, set it on my nightstand, and start to tuck myself in for bed. I hear a loud crash from upstairs, followed by gasps and choked grunts. A heart attack? I unhesitantly dash upstairs, to find Dad writhing on the floor, clothes rent. He grasps his throat tightly. I see the shadow inside, and would be elated by its forced exit, if not for my father being incapable of breath. I fall to my knees, gazing into his eyes that, like mine, contain a forest. Soft green and undertones of brown create trees, and the blue flickering through both eyes depicts a babbling creek. His hair is short and his biceps are white from clutching his throat. The scar above his right eyebrow is like a comet. I’ve always liked that scar.  
I gently remove his hands and stroke his throat as quickly as possible, trying to make it relax. It doesn’t work. I'm too late. His eyes grow dark, and his death rattle brings black fog from his mouth. My eyes well up, so I stand, turn, and pad softly through the doorway. I need a little time to myself before I call the police. I need to think and, obviously, grieve. This is gonna be so hard for me. So, so hard.


	7. How Sean lost his mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nooooooooo" Evan sobbed.

Nine month pregnant Maria swayed on the hospital bed. She gripped her husband’s hand so tight that I thought it might pop. She screamed as a child slipped gradually out of her body. Her son was slower than most I’d seen before. She was a determined and patient woman. “Sean,” she said weakly as she passed out. Her face was pale and sweaty, growing cold. Her heart stopped beating. We tried as best we could, bringing out the paddles and helping her breathe. We looked around at one another.  
“Time of death, 11:14 pm, December 12,” I said.  
“No! No!” Wailed her husband, Evan. “Help her!” He yelled at all the doctors. “Bring her back!” He fell to his knees and sobbed. Sean joined him, wailing as though to show his empathy.  
“I'm sorry, Evan, but she's out of our hands,” replied Dr. Hansen. We made eye contact and I nodded to the nurses. They would try to guide him out of the room.  
Evan felt as though his life was nothing but a toy for some cruel primordial being to play with. Dr. Hansen put his hand on Evan’s back, whispering, “I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.” Evan felt nothing more. Only pain registered within him. Three nurses led him out together, and he did not fight back. Tears slowly rolled down his rough cheeks. He buried his face in his hands and shook on a chair beside the room. A half hour later, his beautiful wife left her family in a body bag. Sean and Evan were left alone with the pain of her loss. They had no idea how much worse this pain was going to get. Sean stared at the bag in numb grief. That was the day he lost his only joy. Not even his son could make  
up for it.


	8. The Day The Comets Fell Gina (Mom)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I looked up at the beautiful vibrant comets as they danced across the stars, it's like they were celebrating the coming of my son. I sighed and leaned into Leo, my baby is gonna be beautiful.

December, 2004. I sat along the cliffside, gazing upwards as comets lit up the night sky. I looked at Leo. Their fire reflected in his soft brown eyes. His hair was short and black waves crashed over each other. He was tall and skinny, and he wore ripped jeans with a red t-shirt. Suddenly, pain gripped my stomach. I winced, my eyes shut tight.  
“That’s six minutes apart,” he said. His voice was smooth and soft, like a sheepskin. “We’d better get to the hospital.”  
“One more,” I said, wanting to stay there forever.  
“Fine,” he sighed, “but only one.”  
“Only one,” I repeated quietly. I leaned on him, and he put his arm around me. We were silent, until what seemed like seconds later when pain racked my body again.  
“That's weird,” he commented, “that one was only one minute. They’re getting way shorter. We should leave.” That's when my water broke. “Let’s go,” he said urgently.  
“Yeah.” I was surprised by how weak my voice was. It was like a scared child's. We hurried to his black Camaro. We sped to the hospital, our car blurring through the empty streets. We were there, checked in by the nurse, and ready to bring our child to the world in no time. I'll be skipping the birth story for your enjoyment.  
I held my child in my arms, glowing skin and ruffled black hair like his father’s. I studied his brown eyes, and he was one of the two people I could comprehend in the world. “Jason,” I whispered. “Jayce.” I looked at Leo, handed him the surprisingly silent baby, and went into a much needed sleep.  
***  
Sixteen years later, Jayce, Althea, and Sean stood in front of me. I looked at my young son and admired his large resemblance to Leo. I smiled. Then I recalled far gone memories of Leo and I almost cried. “So, what now?”


End file.
